Agitator



E. B. NICHOLS AGITATOR Filed Oct. l, 1923 April 10, i928.

Patented Apr. 10, 1928.

UIITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDGAR B. NICHOLS, 0F ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, 4ASSIGNOR TO THE PFAUDLER (10., OF

ROCHESTER, NE'W YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

AG-ITATOR.

Application filcdctober 1, 1923.

vThis invention relates to agitators, and more particularly, to the rotary variety adapted for agitating the ,liquid contents of a container, one object of the invention b eing to provide a practical agitator' of this character Which ymay be manufacturedat ya coinparatively low cost Wit-h yrespect to materials and labor. A further object is to provide such an agitator efficiently constructed of metal in suoli a manner xas to be .adapted to have a vitreous or enameled coating fused thereon. A further object of the invention is lto provide Van improved method of con structing hollow agitatoi's from sheet material to afford one lhaving Walls of substantially uniform thickness throughoutwith a coating of enamel applied thereto lfor protecting the same. Still a further object is the provision `of a device of this nature economically constructed of metal tubing' and so designed as to be particularly adapted for the reception of a sanitary and durable fused vitreous coating. To these and .other ends the invention consists Ain vcertain improvements and combinations of parts, all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointed out in ,the claims at the end of the specification.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a side elevation .of anagitator embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is an end elevation thereof;

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view Aon the line Sat-3a of Figure l;

Figure 4 is a sectional view on the line la-4a in Figure 3, and

Figure is a sectional view on kthe line L-a in Figure 3.

Similar reference numerals throughout the several views indicate the same parts.

The embodiment of the invention herein disclosed by Way of illustrationfof the prineiples involved comprises a rotary agitator of the centrifugal type although of course the broader aspects of the novel principles embodied may be applied as Well to other types of agitators. Devices of this character have been commonly manufactured of non-corrosive metal in solid form but this. practice is obviously wasteful of material Where no great stresses are involved requir- `ing maximum strength. Agitators have also been manufactured in this solid form of inexpensive metal and given a noncorrosive coating, but a coating material having Serial No. 665,772.

marked advantages, namely, vitreous material or glass enamel, involves ,objectionable difficulties in applying `the same to an article of such solid construction 'because of vthe varying mass of the metal Yin Aits different portions and consequent inequalities in temperature conditions with attendant liability to defects in the -enamel coating, as Well understood in the art.

It has kbeen found that agitators of :this nature maybe practically and economically manufactured as a hollow body formed by relatively thin metal Walls and .requiring comparatively little metal material. Such a r'mode of construction furthermore affords a metal agitator .particularly adapted for subjection to the process of fusing an enamel on its external surfaces.

In the present instance the agitator is constructed of standard tubing, a length lof whichas indicated at l0, forms anelongated hub portion for .the ,agitator having -a vclosed and preferably slightly 5projecting rounded end ll and an openopposite end lladapted to receive a shaft. The `projected rounded end 1l is adapted to facilitate the flow of material and avoid the tendency .to establish a region of reduced ,pressure at'tliis portion. The hubportion is furthermore formed with lateral openings 13 of which in the present instance there are four, spaced `about .its periphery adjacent the end ll at Which openings the blades are attached.

VThe blade portions also .are preferably formed of vlengths of standard tubing as indicatedvat 14, one end of each such ,tube length being iXedto the .hub around one of the openings 13, vas forexample by a Welding, brazing or similar process. The Out- Wardly .extending portion vof each blade isv elongated, or partially vflattened, transversely of the lplaneof rotation yals-at 'l5 (Figure) and as shown in Figure 4. The blade ,is also curved substantially spirally in ,the plane of rotation for the purpose of securing the most eiiicient propelling effects as Well understood in the art. The outer ends of the blades are closed by rolling the margins at this end toward each other as at 16 and Welding, bi'azing or otherwise uniting the same as indicated by the heavy line in Figure 5. These blade portions may be readily drawn by usual operations into the present and various other suitable forms at a, comparatively low cost, and the above aggerated scale at 17, Figure o, because of 'v the well known durability and other qualities of the same. In this case steel tubing may be employed as already stated, and it is to be noted that the construction is such that all portions of the agitator are of substantially equal thickness or mass of metal and all portions of the interior are in free communication with each other and with the exterior through the shaft opening of the hub, as is desirable for equalizing temperature conditions as well as the pressures of gases which may be generated interiorly during the heating process by which glass or other vitreous material is fused or baked on the external surfaces.

The invention supplies therefore a light but strong article having an integral forni of construction which may be produced by practical manufacturing methods at a comparatively low cost, and which is furthermore particularly adapted for the application thereto of a protective coating of vitreous material having the various qualities` well known in the art.

I claim as my invention:

l. An agitator adapted to have a .vitreous coating fused thereon, comprising a body having a hollow hub portion and separately formed tubular blades closed at their outer ends and having their inner ends shaped to conform with the contour of said hub portion and united therewith over spaced openings formed therein and a sleeve on the hub portion for attachment to a shaft affording an external opening in communication with all portions of the interior for equalizing temperature and pressure conditions during the fusing of said coating thereon.

2. A rotary agitator comprising a tubular metal hub open at one end for the reception of a shaft and closed at the other with lateral openings spaced about its periphery, a plurality of blades each formed from a metal tube having an end welded to said hub over one of said lateral`openings with its outwardly extending portion elongated transversely of and curved in the plane of Arotation and closed by welding at the outer end, the interior portions of said blades and hub being in communication with the exterior through said shaft opening, and a fused enamel `coating protecting the agitator exterior. y

3. In a rotary agitator, the combination of a hub portion comprising a length of metal tubing open at one end forI the reception of a shaft and closedat the'other end, and a plurality of separately formed blades spaced about the periphery of the hub each comprising a length of metal tubing having an end thereof welded to said hub with its outwardly extending portion elongated transversely of and curved in the plane of rotation and closed at the outer end.

4. A centrifugal agitator adapted to have a vitreous coating fused thereon comprising a tubular body member including an end portion adapted for connection with a drive shaft and having an opposite closed end portion provided with a series of radially disposed openings and separately formed tubular blades having flattened portions sealed at their outer ends and circular end portions connected with the tubular body member around said openings and joined thereto by welding in a manner to form a one piece construction embodying a sealed enclosure permitting equalization of the temperature and pressure conditions during the fusing of said coating thereon.

5. A rotaryagitator, comprising a blade formed of a single piece of metal tubing and a hollow tubular hub member provided with an aperture on its periphery, said blade and hub member being welded together around said aperture, whereby the material at the welded joint will be of substantially the same thickness as the material in the hub and blade members, said blade member being circular in cross section for a port-ion of the distance from the welded joint, the remainder of the length of the blade ymeniber being flattened transversely of the plane of rotation of the blade and curved substantially spirally in the plane of rotation of the blade, the outer end of said blade member being closed.

EDGAR B. NronoLs. 

